snarkypup

I know, I know: the newbie posts again. I swear, I'll wear out eventually and shut up .

So I had the lbs put the KoolStops on my 69 Sports. I kept reading about how beautifully your Sports stop, at least when it's dry, but mine really doesn't. It's like stopping a train... it might happen, but it's going to take a while. I was thinking this was just an old bike thing, but then... I tried the brakes individually.

It's totally dry here. I wasn't going too fast, or down hill. The front brake stops on a dime. I was surprised to see how easily and quickly it stops. The rear brake... doesn't really stop at all. It slows down, but I can sink the lever to the handlebar and still coast. I know that rear brakes are going to be softer on a woman's frame, generally, but this isn't soft. This is still rolling when the brake is fully applied! Naturally, I found this alarming. I got off, checked it, and found that the brakes are sitting pretty far from the rims, especially compared to the front brakes. I have no idea how to adjust them to sit closer.

Is this something I can do myself (keeping in mind that I was thrilled today just to figure out how to clean the grease from under the plastic cover on the shifter)? If it isn't, how good should I expect these to be after the guy at the lbs looks them over? The rims are very clean, and seem reasonably true. I don't think this is a rim issue. I'm pretty sure the brakes need adjusting.

I can ride it over to the local shop tomorrow and get them tweaked, but I'd rather learn to fix it myself, if possible. Any help would be much appreciated. I can add photos if this will help, but I think this is a standard Raleigh Sports brake set-up. Thanks!

madlee

Congrats on the Sports. I have one myself as my daily rider.

The important thing is that your front brake works. That is the brake you should be using most of the time. If you surf on over to sheldonbrown.com, there is a ton of info about these british 3 speeds.

re: rear brake, if you have the original type on the bike, it sounds like it needs to be adjusted. If you follow the cable to the back brake, you will find the adjusting barrel. You will also see a lock nut at the bottom that will keep the adjusting barrel from moving. Loosen the locknut and rotate the adjusting barrel to give more wire so that the brakes will close up more. Here's more info: https://sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html scroll down to the brake section.

mkeller234

Madlee is right on about the barrel adjusters. If you back the adjuster out as far as it goes and the brakes are still not tight then you need to adjust the cable, which can be done at home easily.

- use a wrench and loosen the cable pinch bolt, the cable will be loose and the brakes will open all the way up.
- screw the barrel adjuster all the way in
- Get the brake pads against the rim by finding something to hold the arms together. I use a "third hand tool" but you can use rubber bands or something similar hold the brakes up against the rim.
Here is a picture of a third hand tool to show what I am talking about:

- with the brakes close to the rim, pull the cable through the pinch bolt by hand and tighten the nut.
- Remove the rubber bands and the brake pads should move away from the rims a little bit. Use the barrel adjuster if they need to be closer.

Esteban32696

Keep the rims wiped down with alcohol, etc., helps a lot, too.

snarkypup

Wow, thanks all! I did exactly what you all described: loosened the bolt, screwed in the barrel adjuster, tightened the brakes to where I wanted them (just held them there, which wasn't too hard), tighted the bolt and got everything adjusted. Then I cleaned the rims thoroughly. Now the rear brake works much better. It's still not as good as the front, but if I'm supposed to be using the front more, then it works well enough and I can adjust it again later, should I desire. I've always relied more on the back brake on my newer bike, as relying more on the front brake seemed like a sure way to go over the handlebars (which I've done when a back brake cable failed). I'm still adjusting to shifting without peddling; this will just be one more thing to get used to about the Sports.

I am so excited to have done this myself! I've never fixed anything, ever. I can make all sorts of girly things, like elaborate knitted sweaters, but my ex always did the fixin'. Now that I'm divorced and with someone who can't fix anything either, I'm diving in!

Final question: how often should I be oiling the hub? I'm using sewing machine oil, which I had lots of (see point above), and which has an easy-to-use applicator tip that perfectly fits the hub. I've heard a drop or two "every now and then," but then my lbs guy said "every time you ride it." At least this time of year, that's daily. I forsee very greasy rims! Thoughts? How often do I oil it?

David Newton

A good squirt, a teaspoon? once a month is plenty, and that is if you are riding every day. Any more and you'll be dripping all over the place.

Do a drip or so on the brake center pivot too!

GrayJay

If your hub bearings are packed with grease, there is no need to ever oil them. If you have already oiled them, you should dissasemble and clean out all the thinned grease/oil, repack with just grease and forget about them for a few years. Oil in place of grease for the hubs is a high maintanence, race-only procedure and will probably reduce the life of your bearings.

snarkypup

It's a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub, which needs to be regularly oiled. If I had to do what you described above, then I'd pass out . I'll stick with a good squirt once a month, as long as I'm riding it (I can't picture riding this bike much during a Seattle winter). I always have the lbs tune my bikes up every spring to be safe and keep them in good condition, so he'll give it a good going-over then, as well. Thanks for the tips, everyone!

mkeller234

Glad to hear that you were able to improve your brakes. Bikes are pretty simple to work on for the most part, it can be fun and gratifying.... occasionally enraging .

You are right, Sturmey Archer hubs need oil occasionally... once a month sounds reasonable. GrayJay must be thinking about Campagnolo hubs on a racing bike. Some older 3 speeds also had oil ports in the front hub and bottom bracket, but not the newer ones. I use an oil can with 10W-30 motor oil in it. I am not sure what sewing machine oil is like, maybe it's fine...maybe it's on the thin side? Someone around here might know more about oil than me. Maybe what I am using is too heavy... sounds like I need to do my own research.

My oil can looks exactly like this one... but blue. The hose on it makes oiling the hub simple.


Don't hesitate to ask any other questions about your bike.

alr

I use a syringe to get oil into my 3 speed hub. A little goes a long way, as I found out from recent experience. I put several teaspoons of oil in, and then I was leaking like the Exxon Valdez all over Seattle. It was a little embarrassing and a lot messy. The sound your hub makes will also tell you when it is time for oil-- it will change pitch.

I am not sure what LBS you are taking your bikes to, but none of the ones I have used in Seattle have adjusted my brakes to my satisfaction (granted, I have old bikes, and hence old brakes-- maybe that is why). So, I learned to do it myself.

snarkypup

Oooo, a fellow Seattle-area-ite! I'm actually in Renton, and had a guy at GHY in downtown Renton do the restore. He's just recently gotten seriously into vintage bikes, so while he was familiar with those weird British wrenches and such, he probably isn't yet an expert on the level that the folks back east might enjoy. He's about to start on a less-well-maintained his-hers pair of Raleigh Sports, so he was thrilled to get a try at mine first. Nice guys down at GHY (though I haven't explained "Go Huck Yourself" to my kids yet). They do mostly trick-type bikes (I'm sure there's a technical name for those tiny things), but are just a couple miles from my house. I loved that in my initial discussion, they said: "yeah, Electra bikes are essentially your bike, but $600 worth of junk. Oh yeah, we sell those, don't we?" Like me some local help, yes I do, and they are a VO distributor, so they can get me things like my new saddlebag at catalog price. Jesse was the name of the guy who did my bike, and he seems pretty knowledgable. But you're right: doing my own brakes is really better. I guess when you ride the bike, you need to be able to keep it the way you want it.

I love the oil can, mkeller. I don't know if sewing machine oil is best, per se, only that many folks use it. It's very thin, so maybe it isn't the best long-term. It's what I had in my house, though, which tells you something about me! I'd love to hear a definitive on which oil to use, but I've read discussions here on this forum that were 20 posts long, and everyone disagreed. The lbs suggested a mix of Tenatious and 20 wt motor oil. Perhaps I'll go with that, I don't know. The Phil Wood stuff is pricey. One of my best friends works there (call to get a part, and you'll almost certainly speak to her), so maybe she can get me a break. You should see her bike(s)!

mkeller234

You're right, asking which oil to use is as bad as asking which grease is better... or which tires are the best. Everyone has their favorite.

SocialCow

Hope that this is not to off topic here, as newbie myself I was cleaning my rims and I had someone who raced bikes 30 years ago telling me that, cleaning the rims, is something you don't want to do, in fact that build up is what you want, he said that he would actually get chalk and add it all the way around the rim to help him stop better, even though it would wear out the break pads faster.

Esteban32696

I disagree with him , maybe because he has raced bikes. I am not an bike expert, but ride 3 speeds, etc., a lot. Many are old Schwinns/English bikes with steel rims & they need all the extra stopping power I can find. There are not any hills here, so steel wheels, wiped down often , work fine for me. If the wheels are really gunky,, I spray " Starter Fluid " on a RAG, NOT on the rim, & then wipe them down. Amazing the greasy mess on my wheels.

To the poster;

Here is a link that you may wish to save on your computer.

https://www.sciencemonster.net/machin...ook/index.html

SocialCow

My wheels are stainless... Cool tip about starter fluid, I will try that.

ColonelJLloyd 

Really? Never heard of SS rims. Spokes, yes. . . . but not rims.

gna

I have that same can. I bought a quart of synthetic 10W-30 on sale, poured it in the can, and I give my SA hubs a squirt every so often. Many people here swear by ATF (automatic transmission fluid). What's important is that you oil your hub occasionally.

snarkypup

Loved that link, Esteban! Thanks!

noglider 

I'm sure he meant chrome, not stainless.

gna

Most likely he means chrome, but Raleigh did indeed build stainless rims, due to shortages of chrome. Usually they were on Clubman or Superbes, but they do exist.

mkeller234

I used ATF in a Sturmey Archer SW hub I had... that hub was.... well it lived down to it's reputation. I eventually ran out of ATF (or do I still have some) and switched to what I had, 10W-30.

ColonelJLloyd 

Very interesting. Thanks!

wahoonc

Bet he didn't race on a Sturmey Archer 3 speed that was coating his rim and everything else in range with oil...There is a reason to wipe down the rims with alcohol!

Aaron

madlee

I oil my hubs maybe once every other month and I ride about 4-5 miles a day. Just a few drops and like wahoonc states, oil gets everywhere on the rims.

I think on sheldonbrown.com, he suggests listening for the ticking noise as a tell tale sign of time to oil the hubs.

Chicago Al 

Funny how C&V works...I spent a good bit of yesterday working on a 1969 Ladies' Sports myself! It's pretty and funky and I'm sure it will stand out in the bike rack at my daughter's high school, just like she does.

It got a thorough cleaning, brake work, front hub adjusted, rear hub opened up just enough to see it-looks-okay-and-I'll-do-that-another-day, and a new set of Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. Also a 'comfort' saddle is replacing the Brooks for reasons of theft protection as well as comfort.

I replaced the brake cables as well as putting on the Kool Stop pads and recommend doing this. It's a cheap ($4 per cable) and easy job and YOU CAN DO IT, assuming the LBS did not.

As Sheldon Brown notes, the rear cable on the Ladies' model is particularly vulnerable to rust as at the brake it's pointing straight up, inviting rain to drip down the housing. Mine came out clean due to the bike having spent most of its life garaged. Still, the brand new Jagwire stainless steel cable is much smoother. I gave it a bit of extra lubrication before putting it in the housing (re-using the original housing of course). You should be able to do this job with nothing more complicated than a strong set of wire cutters, needle nose pliers, and a small wrench for the lock nut on the brake, just as you already did. Just look at how the cables run (maybe even take a picture) before doing the work and make sure they go back the same way. (Unless it's already wrong, as ours was.) There is a little loose ferrule (fitting) over the housing ends where they go into the hand levers, so make sure those don't fall off and get lost.

As far as Sturmey-Archer lubrication goes, this guy has some decided opinions on the subject; I'm sorry to say he does not think much of either 3 in 1 or sewing machine oil:

https://www.youtube.com/user/GrahamNR.../7/0seykrZSKBA

And as he also has several other authoritative youtube videos on Sturmey-Archer kit, I am taking his word for it! I like his very thorough, step by step approach, though the hub strip and rebuild video could use some closeups. If he ever put together a complete 'Maintaining your Raleigh Sports' video I'd buy it. There is obviously lots of S-A information out there, including Sheldon of course, but seeing it happen in real time is extra helpful.

Next step for this bike, get a second big adjustable wrench so I can do the headset (grr), and think about tackling the bottom bracket. I have not worked on a cotterless crank before so that looks interesting...